


homecoming

by tusktooth



Series: pride 2020 [4]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Party, as in it takes place a few months after s1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24665446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tusktooth/pseuds/tusktooth
Summary: After Carlos gets shot, TK throws him a party.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: pride 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772290
Kudos: 87





	homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> [you can find me on tumblr!](http://twinkfjord.tumblr.com/)

After Carlos gets shot, TK throws him a party.

It sounds ridiculous and he told him such when he first suggested it in the hospital a few days back. A bullet wound was a major inconvenience to any first responder so he figured that their friends would be understanding of him wanting some space to rest after he got home.

Instead, TK takes him to his house which is crawling with people. A lot of his friends from the force are there, as well as Michelle who offers him a huge hug as he walks in, and then a bunch of TK’s coworkers, who he’s happy to see because they’re pretty much his friends too. There are a few people milling around that he doesn’t quite recognize and when he asks TK about it, he shrugs and tells him they’re from the station or friends of friends who heard about what happened and wanted to be there to support him, even if they didn’t have a personal relationship.

There’s a lot of food there. A bunch of people brought homemade food, most of which was disgustingly and deliciously unhealthy, in a true Texas fashion. Well, other than whatever TK’s father had cooked, a dish that Carlos had instantly recognized as his and steered clear of. He wasn’t  _ against _ health food, per se, but getting shot warrants some unhealthy eating, even if doctors might disagree. (He needs Grace’s pecan pie for the health of his soul, okay?) There are plenty of drinks as well, which he finds surprising as the Strand house has historically been pretty much alcohol-free due to TK’s past, even though he hasn’t relapsed since getting to Austin. He didn’t want to take all this with him when he left. Maybe Michelle could take some off his hands after the party.

Everyone wants to hear about what happened and about his recovery. It’s a story that he’s pretty much sick of sharing by the third time around so TK takes over for him and explains it without going into too much detail, emphasizing the fact that getting shot is traumatic and that he probably doesn’t want it to be the topic of every conversation that he has. Which kind of defeats the purpose of a “you got shot” party but he’s not about to bring that up to his boyfriend.

It’s a pretty fun time overall. He has a chance to catch up with people that he hasn’t seen in a while and there’s a few games set up in the yard, where most of the guests are enjoying the late summer heat. At some point, Grace hands him a card and tells him that her friend’s daughter heard about what happened and wanted to give him something to make him feel better. When he sees the scribbled drawing and the “get well soon” in a child’s script, he’s truly touched. He doesn’t know what he’s done to earn the positive thoughts of strangers but it feels nice.

Eventually, the party simmers down and people start to leave. Michelle does take a good chunk of the leftover booze and Judd and Grace take some with them too because apparently, they’re hosting a barbecue next weekend which will probably be attended by largely the same group. Owen and his girlfriend leave at some point too, even though it’s his own house, probably just to give Carlos and TK some alone time, even though he does, in fact, have an apartment across town.

It’s just him, TK, and Buttercup now and, to be honest, Buttercup is barely there. As a giant fluffy dog, he was as much the center of attention as Carlos was and entertaining made him twice as tired, so he’s curled up on his bed in the corner of the living room, struggling to keep his eyes open.

One major problem with throwing a party after you get shot is having to clean up. TK insists that Carlos doesn’t have to help but the house is kind of a mess still and he doesn’t want to just sit on the couch and watch him do all the work, especially because he knows that he’ll complain about it later, so he gets to work picking up empty cups and bringing dishes to the sink so TK can wash them.

“I hope you had a good time tonight,” TK says as he rinses a casserole dish that could belong to any one of a number of people. “And that you’re not too exhausted.”

He shrugs. “I’m a bit tired but it was fun so it’s worth it. No pain, though, and that’s what really matters.”

“I’m glad. Mine flared up a lot after I got home,” TK reminds him. “I was worried that today would be too much.”

Carlos snorts. “Yeah, I remember. You were needy when you got back. But you’re you so it’s to be expected.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“You’re needy-” he kissed him on the cheek. “-and adorable. Thanks for the party.”

“Of course. I thought it could do you some good,” he tells him. “I just kind of chilled by myself after and it was kind of hard. Like everyone visited me here and there, you especially, but I still felt alone sometimes. I guess I just wanted you to know that you weren’t.”

He wraps his arm’s around his boyfriend from the back and perches his chin on his shoulder. “How could I ever feel alone when I have you?”

TK smiles. “I mean I guess I’m pretty great.”

“Humble too,” he says, kissing him briefly.

He grabs his wrists and squeezes lightly. “Don’t get shot again, okay?”

“I won’t if you won’t,” he replies with a smirk. “Really, I barely got hit. You’re the one who took some real damage and, may I say, scared the shit out of me.”

“I mean it,” TK says. “I can’t lose you, Carlos. What we have is amazing and I can’t handle losing somebody I love right now.”

Carlos blinks for a moment as he processes what he just said. “You love me?”

“Fuck,” TK groans, slapping a palm to his forehead. “TK Strand jumps the gun and fucks everything up like always.”

“Hey, no,” he says, grabbing TK by the shoulders and spinning him around so they’re facing each other. “I love you too. I was just surprised you said it first, given how you reacted to our first date.”

TK looks down at his feet and smiles shyly. “I may have been a bit of an idiot back then.”

“Oh, you certainly still are, babe,” he replies, pressing another kiss to his cheek. “That happens to be one of the many things that I love about you.”

“What else do you love about me?” he asks, leaning back against the counter and biting his lip.

Carlos grabs the dishtowel off the counter and whips him with it lightly. “I happen to love your ability to get to work and get this house clean so that your dad doesn’t think I’m a terrible houseguest.”

As TK holds up his hands in surrender and gets back to work, Carlos can’t help but smile. Sure, he had gotten shot which undeniably sucks, but when you have someone so wonderful at home waiting for you, is there really much that you can complain about?


End file.
